Cretex Medical, a global leader in contract medical device manufacturing and engineering services, has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Atemisa Precision, S.A., a high-quality machining company based in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The acquisition, expected to close before the end of the year pending customary conditions, represents a major step forward in Cretex Medical’s strategy to expand its manufacturing footprint and enhance its vertically integrated capabilities in the region.
Atemisa Precision, founded to serve both medical and industrial sectors, has become one of Costa Rica’s most respected providers of high-tolerance machining services. Its reputation for precision, reliability, and customer focus aligns closely with Cretex Medical’s mission to simplify the path from product concept to patient delivery. By integrating Atemisa’s expertise into its network, Cretex will be able to offer enhanced capabilities in advanced machining, molding, laser processing, and assembly — all within Costa Rica’s growing medtech ecosystem.
According to Jeff Wollerman, CEO and President of Cretex Companies, this acquisition underscores the company’s long-term commitment to Costa Rica as a strategic hub for medical device manufacturing. “The planned acquisition of Atemisa is a strategic investment that strengthens Cretex’s global presence and underscores our long-term commitment to Costa Rica,” Wollerman said. “Atemisa’s reputation for excellence, deep local experience, and strong customer partnerships align perfectly with Cretex’s culture of continuous improvement and customer focus. Together, we’re expanding our capabilities and scale to better support our customers’ growth and success for years to come.”
Cretex Medical recently completed construction of a state-of-the-art facility in Cartago, designed to serve as a cornerstone for its expanding operations in Latin America. The addition of Atemisa Precision complements this investment by bringing localized machining expertise and a skilled workforce already familiar with the region’s medical manufacturing standards. Once the transaction is finalized, Atemisa’s operations will integrate with Cretex’s existing infrastructure to form a cohesive platform capable of supporting full product lifecycle services — from prototype development and validation to production and assembly.
Both companies will continue operating independently until the acquisition closes. During this period, teams from both organizations will collaborate to ensure a smooth transition that preserves Atemisa’s existing customer relationships while leveraging Cretex’s global resources and operational systems. This approach reflects Cretex Medical’s emphasis on maintaining business continuity and quality excellence throughout its expansion efforts.
For Cretex Medical, the move into Costa Rica represents a deliberate strategy to enhance proximity to customers and supply chain efficiency. The country has become a major hub for medical device manufacturing, with more than 90 multinational OEMs operating there due to its strong talent base, political stability, and business-friendly environment. By bolstering its presence in the region, Cretex can offer nearshore solutions that reduce lead times and logistics costs for U.S. and global clients.
Founded more than a century ago, Cretex Companies remains privately owned and headquartered in Elk River, Minnesota, employing over 2,300 team members across facilities in the United States and Costa Rica. Through its subsidiaries — Cretex Medical, Cretex Materials, and Cretex Specialty Products — the company has built a diversified portfolio that spans both healthcare and infrastructure sectors. Under the Cretex Medical brand, its subsidiaries rms Company, QTS, and CDT deliver advanced contract manufacturing and engineering services to the world’s leading medical device OEMs.
Cretex’s success is rooted in a shared set of values emphasizing operational excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction. This acquisition aligns seamlessly with those principles by combining Atemisa’s machining expertise with Cretex’s global infrastructure and resources. Together, they aim to create a stronger, more responsive organization that can deliver precision-engineered components and assemblies for complex medical technologies.
Atemisa Precision, known for its dedication to customer service and technical expertise, will continue to play a key role in Cretex Medical’s growth strategy. With decades of experience in multi-axis CNC machining, tool design, and component finishing, Atemisa has earned the trust of medical device manufacturers seeking high-performance, compliant, and reliable components.
The acquisition also underscores Cretex’s growing influence within the Costa Rican medtech cluster, one of the most advanced in Latin America. By establishing a deeper presence in the country, the company reinforces its position as a partner of choice for OEMs looking to source complex components, assemblies, and manufacturing solutions within a cost-effective and regulated environment.
Ultimately, the transaction between Cretex Medical and Atemisa Precision represents more than a corporate acquisition — it’s a strategic alliance that merges global scale with local expertise, expanding the capabilities and reach of both companies in one of the world’s fastest-growing medical manufacturing regions.
Cretex Medical’s planned acquisition of Atemisa Precision represents far more than an expansion of its footprint — it is a deliberate step toward building a vertically integrated manufacturing ecosystem in Costa Rica that supports every stage of medical device production, from design and precision machining to molding, laser processing, and final assembly.
This integration will allow Cretex to operate with a high degree of local autonomy, enabling faster response times, enhanced supply chain resilience, and greater operational control for customers in North America and beyond. By bringing Atemisa’s high-tolerance machining capabilities under the same regional umbrella as Cretex’s new Cartago facility, the company is creating a unified production network that delivers world-class manufacturing quality while maintaining proximity to key clients.
Costa Rica has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic medtech hubs, with more than 90 multinational companies operating in the country and over 50,000 professionals employed in the medical device industry. This thriving ecosystem provides Cretex and Atemisa with access to a highly skilled workforce, strong regulatory support, and an established export infrastructure. Cretex’s investment not only signals confidence in Costa Rica’s continued growth but also reinforces the nation’s strategic role in the global supply chain for precision medical technologies.
According to industry observers, Cretex’s move reflects a broader trend of supply chain localization and nearshoring. As global manufacturers seek to reduce dependency on distant suppliers, Costa Rica’s stability and robust logistics connections make it a preferred location for U.S.-based OEMs seeking agile production solutions. By expanding its presence in the region, Cretex can offer faster lead times, tighter quality control, and enhanced collaboration with customers throughout the Americas.
The synergy between Atemisa and Cretex lies not only in shared technical expertise but also in a common commitment to excellence. Atemisa’s precision machining operation — built on decades of craftsmanship and innovation — will integrate seamlessly into Cretex’s lean manufacturing framework, supported by advanced metrology, automation, and quality assurance systems. This alignment is expected to yield improvements in process validation, throughput efficiency, and regulatory compliance for complex medical device components.
Cretex’s new Cartago facility, which recently came online, provides the physical infrastructure necessary for scaling these capabilities. The site houses specialized cleanroom environments and flexible production spaces designed for future expansion. With Atemisa joining the network, the company will gain in-house precision machining capacity, enabling it to serve customers who require complete solutions from initial concept to finished assembly.
“Integrating Atemisa’s expertise allows us to offer an even more comprehensive range of services directly within Costa Rica,” said Wollerman in a follow-up statement. “This is not just an acquisition; it’s a strategic alignment that enhances our ability to deliver on our promise — making it easier for customers to get their products to patients safely and efficiently.”
The operational synergy between the two organizations will also strengthen Cretex’s capacity for cross-functional engineering collaboration. Customers will benefit from a unified approach where product development, process design, and production scale-up occur within one ecosystem — eliminating friction points between multiple suppliers. This model reflects the evolving needs of medical device OEMs, who increasingly demand integrated partners capable of managing quality and compliance across the full product lifecycle.
From a sustainability standpoint, the acquisition enhances regional production efficiency by reducing transportation distances and minimizing environmental impact. Cretex has consistently emphasized environmental stewardship and responsible growth, and expanding within Costa Rica — a nation known for its renewable energy initiatives — aligns perfectly with that philosophy.
Atemisa’s inclusion also deepens Cretex’s talent development pipeline in Central America. The company plans to retain Atemisa’s leadership team and workforce, fostering continuity while investing in additional technical training and process optimization. This ensures that local expertise is preserved and strengthened under the Cretex Medical brand, supporting long-term growth and innovation within Costa Rica’s medtech sector.
For customers, the benefits will be immediate and measurable. The combined organization will deliver:
Faster prototyping and validation through integrated design-to-manufacturing workflows.
Improved quality assurance enabled by unified inspection and documentation systems.
Shorter lead times and lower logistics costs due to regional production and consolidation.
Enhanced scalability for high-volume production across multiple device categories.
These advantages underscore Cretex’s mission to simplify complex manufacturing challenges while providing OEMs with reliable, scalable, and compliant production capacity in strategic global locations.
The acquisition also marks another milestone in Cretex’s century-long history of family ownership and long-term investment philosophy. Rather than pursuing short-term expansion, the company’s growth has been guided by a commitment to reinvest in its people, technology, and customers. Integrating Atemisa into the Cretex Medical portfolio continues that legacy, positioning the combined entity to serve as a trusted partner for next-generation medical innovations.
Ultimately, Cretex’s investment in Costa Rica through the acquisition of Atemisa Precision reflects the future of localized, vertically integrated medical manufacturing — a model that emphasizes speed, quality, and partnership. By combining global scale with regional specialization, Cretex is not only strengthening its operations but also contributing to the broader evolution of Costa Rica as a global center for medical device excellence.
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